Italian Trade Commission - Dolce Booklet 2011

Italian Cakes, Breads and Confections Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

Authentic Italian Food.

The Quality of Life

Discovering the Sweet Side of Italian Life A tour of Italy is as pleasant a way as any to taste the sweet side of life in the form of its cakes, pastries, biscotti, candy, chocolate and other confections. Every region, indeed every province, city or town, has its own unique sweet specialties.

Besides the pleasure of eating, a tour of Italy’s dazzling world of sweets provides lessons in history, culture, and the customs and habits of the Italians themselves. The story goes back at least as far as Etruscan civilization some six thousand years BC. Like their contemporaries, the Greeks, the Etruscans were fond of sweets made of honey and walnuts, which figure in Italy’s repertoire of sweets even today.

The first professional bakers seem to have appeared in Rome in the beginning of the third century BC. Passing references to confectionery by ancient writers give a vague picture of the sweets enjoyed by the Romans. However, archeological sites at Pompeii and Ercolano (Herculaneum), near Naples, as well as mummified remains of some of the pastries and baked goods, suggest that the range of specialties was almost as broad as a modern shopper expects to find in a reasonably well-stocked pastry shop.

Once established, the confectionery tradition never faltered in Italy. The Empire fell and the country dissolved into numerous small and quarrelsome states. Pastry making continued to flourish in each, formed by the creative ideas of individual bakers combined with popular tastes and local traditions and ingredients. A surprisingly large number of the resulting regional specialties that developed have survived and changed little over the centuries. Flat, heavy cakes, in which exotic spices were used lavishly, partly because those flavorings were extraordinarily scarce and expensive, were characteristic of the Middle Ages. The panforte (literally, strong cake) and panpepato (peppered cake) of Siena are examples.

Cakes and most pastries were dense and heavy in Roman times and in the early Middle Ages because honey was the principle sweetener. Confections became lighter and more delicate around the time the Renaissance was taking shape, when refined white sugar became available.

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While sugar was known centuries earlier, it had been used almost exclusively as a medicine. Large-scale cultivation of sugar cane began with the Arabs, who ruled Sicily from the ninth through the eleventh centuries. Sugar produced on the island and in other Arab-ruled lands in southern Europe and the Middle East passed along the trade routes northward from the Mediterranean.

Other ingredients were progressively added to an increasingly elaborate confectionery tradition. Cherries,

plums, and peaches were transplanted to the west from the Middle East by the Romans, while citrons, oranges, and lemons made their appearance in southern Europe shortly before the time of Christ, first as ornamental shrubs and trees and then as providers of fruit. The flavor and appeal of a whole host of traditional Italian pastries and confectionery products depend on the use of candied peel and marmalades. The growing taste for complex sweet preparations encouraged wider cultivation of hazelnuts, walnuts and especially almonds. Chocolate arrived from the New World in the 16th century and was soon playing a vital role in the making of pastries and confections. In the 17th century, coffee was introduced from Ethiopia by way of the Middle East and Venice, and almost immediately became the favorite beverage of Italians and many other Europeans, as well as an important flavoring.

Over a span of 2,000 years, Italian cooks and pastry chefs have shown remarkable versatility in adopting each ingredient and innovation as it came along and incorporating 2

it in their distinctive culinary traditions. They have constantly developed new preparations while at the same time retaining the essence of the old. Many Sicilian pastries, delectable memories of a time when Palermo was one of the richest and most highly civilized capitals in Europe, betray, or proudly proclaim their Arabic origins. Other cities and regions of Italy perfected their own roster of specialties, creating an assortment of pastries and confectionery products that may be unequaled for breadth, variety and quality.

Amaretti Literally, “only a little bit bitter,” amaretti, small, soft bitter almond cookies with a crunchy surface, are said to have been created in 1718 at Saronno, to the east of the Lombard capital, to honor the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan when he made a formal visit to the town. The distinctive small cookies, wrapped individually in beautiful flower-like tissue wrapping, reflect the romantic legend of their origin. The story goes that a young baker and his beautiful fiancée invented the cookies as a gift to the visiting Cardinal.

Though it was customary to present such a dignitary with cakes or sweets, the town’s scant food supplies could not feed the prelate’s huge entourage. So the lovers quickly gathered together sacks of almonds, sugar and flour, and combining those ingredients with eggs, baked scores of shiny and chewy cookies they named amaretti, and wrapped each in beautiful paper. The appreciative Cardinal and his numerous followers soon became regular customers. But amaretti were almost certainly invented long before the 18th century. The cookies made at Saronno were probably a more refined variation on an ancient theme. Sprinkled with diamond-like sugar crystals, amaretti are lovely eaten on their own, especially matched with a goblet of red wine. The touch of sharpness from the bitter almonds also makes them a happy companion to ice creams and fruits -- peaches, in particular. In Italy, amaretti are used extensively in desserts, where they can serve as a foil to the pure sweetness of other ingredients. They are also combined with pumpkin puree and Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese as a filling for tortelloni.

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Amaretti are difficult to make outside the borders of Italy because of the scarcity of bitter almonds abroad, without which they would not be amaretti at all (sweet almonds are no substitute). Imitations of amaretti made with apricot kernels abound, but the genuine amaretti of Saronno made from bitter almonds have no equal.

Cantuccini Which came first, cantuccini or Vin Santo?

We will probably never know, but we do know that Tuscans have been enjoying both, usually together, since at least as early as the Middle Ages. A specialty from Prato, a town near Florence, these popular biscotti (bis cotto, from the Latin, twice cooked) are made with flour, oil, anise seeds and almonds. The dough is first formed into the shape of a French baguette and baked. They are removed from the oven, cut into thin slices, and baked for a second time to brown until they become dry and hard. Cantuccini are eaten at the end of a meal, usually dipped in Vin Santo, a dessert wine, coffee, milk, or some other drink to soften them. They can be stored for long periods of time without spoiling.

Colomba Almonds and orange peel are the principal flavorings of the colomba, a dove-shaped cake that is associated with the Easter season. According to one of various legends about the origin of colomba, goes that during the battle of Legnano, just after Easter, the Milanesi witnessed the fight turn in their favor when three doves flew from a church. Ever since, the Milanesi have memorialized the lucky event by eating the cake in the shape of a dove during the Easter holiday.

Colomba’s principal ingredients are flour, butter, egg yolks, yeast, sugar, orange peel, almonds and milk. The golden4

crusted colomba is soft and delicate and is delicious alone or accompanied by fruit of all kinds, creams, preserves and jams. In recent years, the bakers have added cream and chocolate fillings to create new variations.

Gianduia or Gianduiotti Turin has long been a cosmopolitan city, welcoming influences and ideas from north of the nearby Alps as well as from southern Italy and the far shores of the Mediterranean.

The city’s outlying region, Piedmont, adopted chocolate when the Spanish conquistadores brought it to Europe from the New World, and soon established a continent-wide reputation for the quality and variety of confectionery featuring the novel ingredient. No doubt the finest example is gianduia, also called gianduiotto, today universally regarded as one of the world’s best chocolates.

This chocolate, made with milk, sugar, cocoa and Piemontese hazelnuts, was introduced in Turin at the 1852 world’s fair by 5

local chocolate makers. The recipe was refined in 1865 at the Carnival of Turin and formed into the shape of tiny boats.

The chocolates were pronounced the finest in existence at the fair and won a distinction never conferred on any other product before or since – the name gianduia, after Gianduja, a local hero and mascot of Turin. Today gianduia is an everpopular gourmet delicacy with a world-wide reputation. At the marriage of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier III of Monaco in 1956, gianduia was chosen as the wedding bonbon. With its soft, silky texture, refined aroma and clear hazelnut flavor, gianduia is a splendid example of the fine Italian hand in confectionery. Gianduia is made in small wedges and sold in beautiful gold foil wrapping.

Pandoro Created in the 19th century in Verona, this light, spongy cake is still associated with Venice and its region, the Veneto, although it is now sold throughout Italy. The cake is second only to panettone in holiday popularity.

Emerging in Verona a century ago when changes in fashion favored lighter leavened dough over heavy, almondy pastes, pandoro (literally, “golden bread�) adheres closely to a traditional Venetian recipe.

Tall, distinctively shaped like a Christmas tree, it is topped with powdered sugar reminiscent of snow, or a twinkling star. Cut horizontally, each slice is a star. Like panettone, pandoro can be eaten plain, though it is often elaborated on for elegant events with flavored creams or sauces that may include mascarpone, melted chocolate or whipped cream poured over its slices.

Sometimes, the cake might be hollowed and stuffed to 6

overflowing with gelato, zabaglione or other fantasies of the chef. It can also be split open and spread with marmalade or pastry cream and reassembled.

Like other Italian confections, premium commercial versions are superb, so most people don’t need to bake them at home. Today, pandoro is sold plain or with fillings.

Panettone Panettone appeared in northern Italy around the 15th century. It probably originated in Milan, the capital of Lombardy. Panettone evolved over the centuries as new techniques were adopted and the quality of raw material used in its preparation improved. The custom of consuming panettone, especially during the year-end holiday season, spread from Milan throughout Italy, from the Alps in the north to Sicily in the south. As the bread’s popularity grew, people began to speculate about its origin and as a result, there are many legends.

The most popular concerns a young M i l a n e s e nobleman who fell in love with the daughter of a baker named Toni. To impress the girl’s father, the young man disguised himself as a baker’s boy and invented a sweet, wonderful bread of rare delicacy and unusual size with a top shaped like a church dome. This new, fruitcake-like bread enjoyed enormous success, with people coming to the bakery in droves at all hours to buy the magnificent Pan de Toni (or Tony’s Bread). Panettone can be eaten for dessert or as a snack with coffee, tea, sparkling wine or dessert wine. Toasted leftover slices make an excellent breakfast treat.

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Panforte Panforte was originally a specialty of Siena, in Tuscany, but is popular throughout Italy today. According to legend, in 1205, serfs and tenants of the Montecellesi nunnery were obliged to bring the nuns spice and honey cakes as a way of organizing a census. So delicious were these cakes that they soon came into laymen’s hands. In those days, nunneries prepared medicinal mixtures of herbs and spices. Later, speziali (chemists) took over this task, and along with it, the job of making panforte with all its spices. As a result, some of the most famous panforte today still bear the names of ancient pharmacists’ families. Round in shape, dense, and rich, panforte’s basic ingredients are fresh almonds, candied fruit (primarily citrus), spices and honey. There is also a chocolate variation, unveiled in the early 19th century, known as torta delle dame, or “Ladies’ Cake.” The most widely sold panforte today is panforte Margherita, named in honor of Queen Margherita, wife of the Italian king, Umberto I. Panforte is exported all over the world, especially during the Christmas season. It can be served with a wide range of wines; in Italy, it is almost always eaten with Vin Santo, a sweet raisin wine that originated in the Tuscan monasteries.

Torrone The origin of torrone, the rectangular-shaped nougat bar made with almonds, egg whites and honey, goes back to ancient Rome where the sweet was reserved for formal functions or as offerings to the gods. Centuries later, in 1441, at the wedding of Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco 8

Sforza, the bride had not only many jewels, money and riches of every kind as part of her dowry, but her father offered the city of Cremona itself.

To commemorate the occassion, the court’s pastry chefs decided to make a new confection in the shape of the city’s tower known as the Torione. After mixing almonds, honey and beaten egg whites and cooking them for long hours over low heat, they came up with the right paste consistency to reproduce a replica of the tower that dominated the city. The sweet was a great success with the noble guests who had come from all over Europe, and soon, requests for the newly named torrone were received from all over the world. Today, modern production techniques make torrone easily available to everyone, and many new versions have been developed.

Among the regional variations are a soft torrone from the Abruzzo region, and a variety flavored with aromatic Strega liqueur from the city of Benevento in Campania. Torrone with hazelnuts, pistachios and chocolate is also made in addition to the classic almond and honey type. No longer eaten just during Christmas, but also as small snacks during the day and after dinner, torrone is now also available in the practical single serving packages known as torroncini.

Candies Italians have been creating candies for many centuries, originally with honey and later using sugar when it became more readily available in the marketplace. Over the centuries, confectioners have perfected their techniques while steadily expanding the variety of their candies. There are hard, soft or chewy types in seemingly endless flavors.

Candies are flavored with all kinds of fruit and a vast range of herbs, including mint, licorice and anise, as well as coffee and chocolate. Offered in artful wrappings and creative packaging, Italian candies make fine gifts that are always welcome.

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Cookies An invitation to someone’s home for lunch or dinner inevitably means a trip to the store to buy a gift for the host or hostess as a token of appreciation. In Italy, the gift usually consists of an assortment of small pastries, especially cookies. The Italian pastry tradition is ancient and over the centuries, the assortment of high quality commercially produced cookies has grown beyond anyone’s ability to count the varieties. Made with fresh ingredients and flavored with walnuts, hazelnuts, coconut, almonds and pinoli, as well as chocolate, coffee, vanilla and fruits, cookies are always warmly received as gifts, especially since they are always packaged in beautiful wrappings and containers.

Chocolates As with many of the arts and crafts, Italy taught the world much of what it knows today about the preparation of fine chocolates. In terms of the flavor and variety of its chocolates, it is still far ahead of most of the world.

Produced in all shapes and sizes, flavored with an infinite range of nuts and fruits and a host of creams and liqueurs, Italian chocolates are certain to please every palate. Italy’s confectioners are true perfectionists, concerned not only to produce chocolates of the highest quality but also, to present them beautifully and creatively for every occasion. Many companies call in top designers to help them with their packaging so that the container will attain the same level of artistry as its contents.

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Enjoy Italian sweets by trying out our suggested recipes.

Limoncina al gelo Lemon Cream For 4 people A simple and elegant spoon dessert, usually served with a biscotto or wafer cookie slipped into each goblet.

1 3/4 cups plus 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 3 extra-large eggs, separated grated zest of 1 large lemon 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice pinch of salt 4 biscotti or wafers for serving Place a medium stainless-steel bowl over a saucepan with 2 inches of simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the egg yolks, the 1 3/4 cups sugar, the lemon zest, all but 1/8 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the salt. Using a whisk, beat the mixture into a fluffy cream, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl and using clean beaters, combine the egg whites and reserved lemon juice. This will make the foam more stable. Beat until foamy, then beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a little at a time until it is all incorporated.

Continue beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Fold into the yolk mixture. Spoon the lemon cream into dessert goblets and refrigerate for 2 or 3 hours until ready to serve. Slip a biscotto into each and serve.

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Zuppa inglese Italian Trifle For 6 people Zuppa inglese, meaning "English soup," or trifle, is one of Italy's most popular desserts. There are infinite variations that may include sliced fresh fruit, various types of fruit preserves, and chopped nuts, among other things. Squares of thinly sliced sponge cake is often substituted for lady fingers. Ahead-of-time note: Zuppa inglese is actually improved by being made a day ahead, but omit the whipped cream and chocolate; add them just before serving.

12 sponge lady fingers, split 3 to 4 tablespoons raspberry jam 1/4 cup dry sherry or rum 2 egg yolks 2 heaping tablespoons sugar 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch pinch of salt 1-inch strip of lemon peel 1 1/2 cups milk 1 tablespoons sugar dash vanilla 12 strawberries, 8 sliced and 4 left whole for garnish, or 2 cups whipping cream a small piece of frozen bittersweet chocolate for shaving Select an attractive, wide bowl, preferably made of glass so that the layers of the zuppa inglese can be seen through it.

Spread the inside of the lady fingers with jam and arrange them on the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle the sherry or rum on the ladyfingers and set aside.

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In a small saucepan off the heat, beat the yolks with the sugar. Add the cornstarch and mix well to integrate. Add the salt and the lemon peel. Stir in the milk. Put the pan over a very low flame. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens, about 7 minutes. The custard should be thick enough to coat the spoon.

Pour the custard over the ladyfingers in the bowl. Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries on top of the custard, reserving enough fruit to garnish the top of the zuppa. Whip the cream, adding the tablespoon of sugar and dash of vanilla to it as you do. Spread the whipped cream over the layer of fruit. Use a vegetable peeler to pare chocolate shavings on the whipped cream. Arrange the fruit for garnish on top.

Chill and serve.

Torta sabbiosa Sand Cake For 6 people Torta sabbiosa, also known simply as sabbiosa, has a history in the Veneto that goes back at least three hundred years. The same cake, or close variations of it, is considered by the neighboring region of Piedmont as its own. Potato starch (fecola di patate) is a staple in the Italian kitchen for baking purposes, but is not always easy to find in America. If necessary, substitute an equal amount of cake flour for the potato starch. This is a classic Italian cake, a culinary genre generally recognizable by its ease of making and a certain moist, dense, buttery character that calls for strong, creamy espresso or an effervescent dessert wine alongside it.

Unsalted butter and unbleached flour for preparing the pan 3/4 cup fine cornmeal 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup potato starch 1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 14

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, separated 1/3 cup milk, warmed 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt confectioners’ sugar for dusting Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Select a shallow cake pan about 10 inches in diameter. Grease it adequately with butter and dust completely with flour, tapping out any excess flour.

In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal and baking powder.

Sift the potato starch into a separate bowl. (It will be resifted later, when it is time to add it to the batter.)

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream them together until the mixture is quite light, almost frothy. Once it reaches this point, beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and then the milk and vanilla, continuing to beat until the mixture is light and airy. Now beat in the cornmeal mixture, again beating well. Sift the potato starch into the batter and continue to beat until a smooth, thoroughly consistent batter results, another 3 minutes or so.

In a separate bowl using clean beaters, beat together the egg whites and salt until they form peaks easily, but are not so stiff that they begin to separate into liquid and solid parts.

Using a large rubber or plastic spatula, gently fold the whites into the cornmeal mixture just until no white streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and permit the cake to remain inside for 10 minutes. (This will allow additional evaporation of moisture from the cake.)

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely on a rack. Remove the cooled cake from the pan. The sides will detach easily when a butter knife is slipped between cake and the pan sides. Transfer the cake to a serving plate.

When the cake is completely cooled, dust the surface with confectioners’ sugar, then serve.

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Biscotti alla nonna Italian Sesame Cookies Makes 5 dozen cookies Because these cookies are traditionally dunked into sweetened espresso before they are eaten, they are meant to be firm. They will keep up to 3 months or more in a closed container placed in a cool, dry place.

4 cups sifted flour 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 cup milk, plus 1/4 cup for brushing on the cookies 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal Combine the eggs, milk and vanilla and stir them into the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Dust your hands with flour and form the dough into "ropes" about 1 inch in diameter. Cut the "ropes" into pieces about 1 inch long. Brush the cookies with milk and roll them in the sesame seeds until they are well covered with them.

Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

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Coppa al mascarpone con amaretti Mascarpone dessert For 4 people 12 large genuine amaretti di Saronno cookies 3 tablespoons brandy 2 organic eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup mascarpone 1/2 ounce dark chocolate shavings

Put the amaretti cookies in each of four wide goblets.

Sprinkle the brandy over the cookies.

Beat together the eggs and sugar until pale, then beat in the mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the glasses, then chill until firm, 2 hours.

Sprinkle with chocolate and serve.

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Italian Trade Commission 33 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 tel. 212.980.1500